First Saturday Sci-Fi - April 2018

Happy Easter! April is here at last... it means I can plant pumpkins and watermelon to my hearts content! This month we're talking with Sci-Fi writer David Rebbitt.

David is an avid reader who has always enjoyed the classic military science fiction. His military career gives him great insight into the real world of the military. Epic space opera with a military edge best describe the books.

He has written articles and blogs for many years in a nonfiction setting. The Globur Incursion series is his first foray into fiction. When writing he most enjoys the interaction between characters. He has built a universe based on realistic science. His books are laced with a gritty realism that puts characters in interesting situations and dilemmas. Each novel is layered with interconnected events and stories, giving real insight into the minds of the characters. There are battles, victories, and losses. Behind it all, the stories of the characters unfold. Their human flaws mean they do not always make the best decisions.

1. Tell us about your favorite work… what makes it special ?

It’s hard to pick out a favorite particular book. Some of my favorite work is the culture series by Iain Banks. I also remember many years ago reading Heinlein’s Starship Troopers and Haldeman’s Forever War. I do have broad taste when it comes to reading and also read a fair bit of historical fiction and nonfiction.

I think what makes my favorite science fiction books special is a few things. There is, of course, a compelling story. I think Banks, most of all, presents us with a story on a broad canvas. An epic scale he seems to paint effortlessly.

What makes these books special is that they challenged our concept of science fiction at the time. These stories are about people and not about gadgets or technology in a real sense.

2. What do you think makes for good Sci-Fi ?

Good science fiction is really a story with characters we identify with. A good story where the technology happens in a matter-of-fact way, or exists to support the story, is really good science fiction. There are some stories that are framed on ground breaking or great technical advancement or insight. They are all really about people facing problems that we can identify with even today.

3. Do you think your books can help shape the future and if so how?

Good science fiction makes you think. Good science fiction helps you see things in a different way. There is certainly science fiction that could be termed pulp fiction, but good science fiction can make us see things differently.

Einstein’s great gift was not his towering intellect, but his ability to see things in a different way. I think that’s what books can do to help shape the future. They can offer a different perspective.

4. Do you have inside jokes or true events hidden in your writing?

Every author has inside jokes, or real events, hidden in their writing. I’m no different in that respect. Some of these situations characters experience are based on my real experiences. For example, in my books it is obvious that the Imperial government really wants to cut back on military spending as they don’t really see a threat.

This is based on my real experience in the military where equipment is often in use well past its service life. Many militaries have to make do with older equipment and are really at the mercy of their government when it comes to procuring new weapons or technology. Understandably, no government wants to fund a large military when they are at peace. Getting the balance right is tremendously difficult and I think including this helps bring some realism to my writing.

5. Which do you prefer… model your characters after people you know or just make them up?

I do both. No character in my book is based entirely on someone I know, or have known. I usually make up my characters, but I try to make them human. It is important that the character be believable, someone a reader can relate to or understand.

They do share personality traits with people I know. Some even share personality traits with me. I really make up characters and I give them traits that I think fit their function in the story. I am often surprised at how characters react to a given situation.

6. Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to take away?

I think there’s a message in every novel that I write. For instance in my first novel, Fulcrum, the message was fairly simple. We often think that aliens are not going to be as smart as we are. We often believe that even aliens with superior technology will be ultimately defeated by some weakness that we find. That might make for a good story, but it’s not quite believable.

The message in the book is that just because aliens appear advanced doesn’t mean they will be friendly. They are probably going to be smarter than us and more advanced technologically. What if an alien race did not want to be contacted?

Despite Hollywood’s assertions, it would be very difficult to communicate with a race that had no common beliefs are experiences. How do you communicate with aliens that have a whole different societal structure and values? What if those aliens don’t even use mathematics as we know it?

Finally, the book offers a scenario where humanity does not heroically win the war against the aliens but settles into a stalemate. In the real universe, sometimes all the luck is not with the humans.

7. What is your favorite review?

I think that it’s hard to pick a favorite review, but I really like to review someone left on my book Contact. Here is an excerpt, “The sci-fi genre is pretty crowded right now, and it takes a really unique voice to make me sit up and pay attention. But that’s exactly what I found with Contact.”

I like to think that my books are quite unique in that it’s just not all about big space battles. There are real characters who struggle with their decisions and show human fallibility. Other reviews have commented on the good story and believable technology.

8. What comes next?

I have a few books in the works. My next book in the Globur Incursion series will be out this spring. Is it direct sequel to Contact and moves the story forward in time. For those of read the books, Contactis a prequel and takes place about twenty years before Fulcrum when first contact is made with the Globurs.

The next book in the series is Onslaught. It includes characters that appeared in Fulcrum and in Contact. It looks like there will be about five books in the series. I say that because there will be about five books to tell this story, but there may be other stories based in this universe.

This spring I intend to make all the books available in paperback.

9. Where can we learn more?

I have a Facebook page where I post updates on books and insights on a semi regular basis. https://www.facebook.com/DRebbittAuthor/

I am also active on Twitter and to provide updates on Twitter from time to time. https://twitter.com/DavidRebbitt

Books are available on many platforms. My amazon author page is https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B072PYNM6V